English Extension

Standard PEEL paragraph

Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein, rife with social and political reference, is an extended metaphor, allegory, and representation of the 1789 French Revolution and the conditions that led to it. The dynamic relationship between protagonist and antagonist presents itself as a historical imitation of the irreconcilable differences of class interests between the French peasantry and the aristocratic ruling class. Through symbolism and characterisation, Shelley rhapsodises on social and political change during the French Revolution, alluding to the lower classes through the disfigured Monster created by, and in constant conflict with, Victor Frankenstein, whose status is contextually significant as his “family is one of the most distinguished” of aristocrats. The way by which the Monster is neglected by its “unfeeling, heartless creator”, refers to the mistreated relationship between people and government, providing commentary by Shelley on aristocratic society as one based on “the division of property, of immense wealth and squalid poverty, of rank, descent, and noble blood.”, as described by the Monster. As the Monster realises that Frankenstein bears no control or dominance over him, “Remember that I have the power... You are my creator, but I am your master; -obey!” Shelley alludes to the eventual, perhaps inevitable rebellion of the lower classes against the French aristocracy, using emotive language to illustrate the social and political attitudes that led to upheaval: “feelings of revenge and hatred filled my bosom, and I did not strive to control them”. Like many texts that explore the concept of upheaval, Shelley uses, in Frankenstein, techniques of allegory and allusion to link her fiction to broader historical events and situations, thus creating a subtext of social criticism with some universal currency. 

One’s contextual environment has the ability to provide incentive for internal transformation. We see this concept in Gray’s poem, The Meatworks, through the persona’s existential contemplation of life and death that is entirely due to his experience working at a slaughterhouse. The process of self transformation commences at the start of the poem, as the persona reflects upon the other workers and their disregard for the lives of the animals. The compounded sensory imagery in the passage, “Most of them worked around the slaughtering / out the back / where concrete gutters / crawled off / heavily, and the hot, fertiliser-thick, sticky stench of blood / sent flies mad,” establishes and sustains an oppressive sense of death. The use of alliteration in ‘s’ and ‘h’ creates a cacophony of emphatic sounds which combine to create a disturbing synesthetic response, illustrating the violent nature of death. It is this horrid setting that facilitates the persona’s inner turmoil, and with it a renewed appreciation for life in all its forms. The symbolic gesture of hand washing in, “I’d scoop up the shell grit and scrub my hands, treading about through the icy ledges of the surf”, illustrates the persona’s desire for purification following his change in perspective. The use of personification in the poem’s last line further conveys the persona’s changing belief regarding the lives of animals: “the ways those pigs stuck there, clinging to each other”. The persona discovers that in death, animals and humans are the same. This revelatory, existential experience perfectly exemplifies the thematic concept of transformation and the influence  an individual’s contextual environment has on this process. It shows the true transformational power of context to shape an individual’s outlook and their very understanding of life.

Depictions of human experiences of the ocean often reflect the intensity as well as the duality of the natural world. In the novel Past the Shallows, Parrett uses contrasting dramatic images to convey this duality and its impact on human experience. The personification and characterisation portrays the ocean as a relentless powerful force -  “it could hold you down for as long as it liked” suggests violence and danger, while the appreciative tone in “body floating free” shows the restorative, calming power of the ocean, reflected in Miles’ descriptions. The surf jargon such as “rip” and “line” used during surfing scenes represents the knowledge required to be safe in the ocean, further showing the power and danger possible in the natural world. The scene also suggests that Miles is knowledgeable of surfing and how the surf works, highlighting his extensive experiences with the ocean and that it is a prominent part of his and his family’s past. In contrast to Miles, Harry’s fear of the ocean is described throughout the novel using short and simple sentences to mimic a young person’s internal monologue. When George asks Harry to go out onto the water to fish with him, the hyperbole “you felt like you might be dying” highlights Harry's fear by the exaggeration of his experience in the ocean. This is juxtaposed with his praise of fishing when it takes place on the jetty:  “it would have been good, like this was” in reference to his grandad taking his brothers fishing. The simple language and brief descriptions present the water using a calm tone to reflect Harry’s changed perspective of the ocean. The juxtaposition of a calm and appreciative tone and the descriptions of intense fear used early in the scene highlights the extremities of nature, revealing its duality. The brother’s experiences of the ocean feature both fear and appreciation, using storytelling of their experiences to depict the opposing extremes of nature, and emphasise the duality present in the natural world.

Obstacles are a universal aspect of human experience, and overcoming obstacles can have a profound emotional impact on the individual. Throughout Billy Elliot, we view the varying obstacles that Billy faces through the process of his transition - his social class, the expectations and prejudices of his family, and the limiting gender stereotypes of the 1980s context. In an early scene Billy is struggling to play the piano, communicating his desires for self-expression as he practices without encouragement or guidance. Billy’s father, Jacky, angrily shuts down the lid of the piano. This act of aggression illustrates that Billy will encounter conflict with his father, as he objects to Billy’s desire for artistic expression, which is seen as a feminine attribute not appropriate for males. With the mise en scene, the use of props, such as the photographs placed on the piano, offer the viewer a look into Billy’s family, damaged as result of the death of his mother and the hardships of the miners’ strikes. The obstacles which Billy must overcome are intense, and ultimately reveal the power of his emotional need for creative self expression.

Outsourcing, or the use of external providers to perform business activities,  is an operational strategy that many businesses use to increase their competitive advantage. In an attempt to sustain a competitive advantage against its competitors, 500 of Billabong’s employees work offshore in areas such as manufacturing. This operational strategy gives Billabong a great competitive advantage as they reap the benefits of simplification of business activities, cost savings and an increase in production and quality capabilities. These benefits of outsourcing consequently give the business its competitive advantage through reduced costs leading to increased profits, increased efficiency through greater production capabilities and increased customer satisfaction in quality leading to a substantial competitive advantage for Billabong. 

Society and Culture

Standard PEEL paragraph

Socially valued resources (SVRs) such as: housing, education, employment, the justice system, health care and technology are those resources or 'essentials' humans need to survive. According to the 2021 Census (ABS), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience poorer quality housing, more overcrowding and greater homelessness than non-Indigenous people. Lack of access to appropriate housing can result in homelessness, poor health and lower rates of employment and educational participation. Access to SVRs is essential for full participation in society because limited access can result in a cycle of poverty that perpetuates social exclusion